


Turnabout Objection

by ElectricTVLand



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ace Attorney AU, Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn, many other characters are here but have smaller roles so i'm not tagging all of them so ur welcome, or as slow burn as a one shot can get
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:20:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25143049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricTVLand/pseuds/ElectricTVLand
Summary: Ferdinand became a lawyer, undertaking an oath to the truth, to protecting those in need and to always seek the truth in all cases. He runs up against the man known as the Demon Prosecutor, Hubert von Vestra, rumored to do anything to get a win. Most people would consider him unfortunate, especially for being such a new defense attorney going against a man with a spotless record. To Ferdinand, this is his greatest boon–It's what he'd always been waiting for.FETH/AA AU
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 7
Kudos: 53





	Turnabout Objection

**Author's Note:**

> i know i hardly write fanfiction, don't @ me, have this really long one instead
> 
> FETH/AA au time! this is an extremely liberal retelling of the first ace attorney game. i didn't feel like going into all the extreme details nor necessarily including every single character with a FETH analog, so it's kinda different and some stuff has been left out. it does have spoilers for the general structure and some mysteries of ace attorney if you care about that. i did avoid explaining literally every plot twist though so you could probably still read this and not get... completely spoiled. i highly recommend you play phoenix wright if you haven't already! i just thought that phoenix and edgeworth's dynamic fit ferdibert really well and i wanted dorothea in there as a wingman too so now here's this beast. i honestly wrote a lot of this in a haze at 5 AM over a few weeks and i don't have any beta readers lmao enjoy!

Ferdinand should have known trouble was afoot when he heard the words "Demon Prosecutor."

Then again, there was only one person who could have fit that description. Yet it still came as a shock. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Ferdinand had come this far, rushing forward towards the truth, seeking to help those who were like him and to repay an old favor–only to find out that it was likely that there was nothing to be repaid anymore.

Hubert von Vestra, the Demon Prosecutor. There was nothing he wouldn't do to get a guilty verdict. Withholding evidence, conveniently tailored testimonies, even forged evidence–All were on the table. Hubert had a perfect record, an immaculate score, winning every case he bothered to touch.

Unfortunately for him, Ferdinand was nothing if not determined–He barely knew this Dorothea Arnault, but there were no doubts in her innocence. 

"I shall represent you!" Ferdinand said proudly, to the glass that reflected his long hair, red suit, gleaming attorney's badge and Dorothea's uninterested face.

"I'm sorry," she said in a way that denoted she wasn't sorry at all. "Didn't I tell you to fetch the attorney I asked for? You're... enthusiastic, but you're a total rookie."

"I am quite sorry to inform you, but..." Ferdinand didn't let this get to him. She must be stressed, being accused of murder and all. "He refused. As did all others I asked." Chalk that one up to Vestra's influence. The moment they heard who their opponent was, they universally decided that saving the innocent was no longer worth it. 

"Fine..." She sighed, her shoulders sagging. "Then I'll be relying on you, Mister... uh..."

"Ferdinand von Aegir," He filled in for her immediately. "But we do not have to be so formal! You were Manuela's friend, after all. You may call me Ferdinand." For a moment, Dorothea didn't respond, but finally something of a smile broke, albeit still with a sour tinge.

"Right. Dorothea Arnault." She was still sizing him up, no doubt, but it was either him or the state assigned attorney. "You'd better get me not guilty."

"Of course! It is only natural." Ferdinand beamed, adjusting his attorney's badge. "Your innocence is certain. All we must do is convince the others of it!"

Somehow, Dorothea laughed.

–––

It had been much easier to stay strong and bright for Dorothea, but Ferdinand had to be reminded–His mentor, Manuela Casagranda, had been murdered in her own office, with Dorothea the only suspect. Dorothea had been there, panicked and distraught, and it was all the police needed to decide she was the culprit. It was an even lower blow that Hubert Demon Prosecutor von Vestra was going to be prosecuting this. 

Ferdinand adjusted his deep crimson coat once more, making sure the attorney's badge was attached. It wouldn't go anywhere, but it felt better to know that it was right with him, near his heart, and it was the evidence of his dedication to the innocent. 

Stepping out into the court room, he took his spot at the defense's bench, and stared across the room to the man who really did look like a demon–Hubert was here already, prepared, looking quite bored.

Ferdinand met his eyes, and saw nothing but animosity.

"The prosecution has been ready for a while, Your Honor." His voice was cold, distant, devoid of feeling.

"The defense is ready!" Ferdinand still stated it with confidence, because if Manuela taught him anything, it was that a little bit of bluffing went a long way. _I will do this for you,_ he thought, swallowing his doubts. _Your killer will not get away. I shall personally make sure that your soul rests in peace!_

–––

"Objection! The witness has stated that the victim moved after being struck–" Ferdinand pulled his copy of the autopsy report out, finding a line at the top. "But the autopsy states that she died instantly!" He was always happy to find a contradiction. Every single one was one step closer to his client's–Dorothea's–Freedom.

"Aegir, did you not know?" Hubert hardly seemed rattled. This wasn't good. "You must have been behind. I requested another autopsy report, and upon review, the coroner believed that Miss Casagranda may have lived for a few minutes after being attacked. Therefore, the witness is not mistaken." _Oh._ Ferdinand's smile faded all too quickly. So it was the Demon in action. Sourly, he accepted the updated copy of the autopsy report, working through his strategy once more. It wasn't his only point. 

"That's dirty," Dorothea muttered, standing next to him, arms tightly crossed over her chest. She wasn't this tense in the detention center.

"I know," Ferdinand said, straightening up again. Hubert kept a casual yet judging eye on them, and if Ferdinand didn't know any better, he'd almost say the man was smirking. "But I won't let him get to me." The witness, on the other hand, seemed very content with this turn of events.

"See? You were mistaken, attorney boy!" Monica laughed, finding strength in Hubert's attack. "I'm telling you, that girl standing right next to you did it! I saw her!" 

"Hang on," Dorothea raised a hand to speak in secret. "Did she also say that she ordered 20 dollars of iced coffee? Isn't that a lot?" What a foul drink for someone to spend that much money on. 

"You are... right." Ferdinand blinked. "That is quite a bit!"

"I hear you whispering over there!" Monica spoke up quickly. "It's a perfectly reasonable price for iced coffee for two–" There was a moment where the woman flinched, admitting her mistake. So there was another.

This was going to be a rough ride. Hubert shook his head, irritation clear, but never once did he look at Ferdinand with anything but scorn.

–––

Somehow, they scraped by, with the final bang of the gavel announcing Dorothea's freedom. Ferdinand breathed deeply, the giddy sensation of all too close of a call fluttering through his chest. But she was free. Manuela could rest knowing everything was taken care of.

That Monica girl was strange, though. 

"You know, that could have been so much worse." Dorothea smiled brightly, like the sun, and Ferdinand chased his doubts away. "Thanks, Ferdie. You're not half bad."

"Think nothing of it!" Ferdinand took 'not half bad' over 'rookie.' "You were invaluable support as well." Dorothea blinked, surprise painted clearly on her face.

"Really?" She asked, full of disbelief. "You're not just saying that? I had thought you wouldn't be interested in a simple secretary's opinion, Mr. Lawyer."

"I would not say such a thing if I did not mean it." He almost felt offended. Did his word mean so little to her? "Dorothea, you provided me with an observation that turned the case around... Your help was perhaps the most important part of the case!"

Okay, so it was embarrassing that he didn't figure to turn the murder note on the receipt over until Dorothea ripped it from his hands, grumbling about how Manuela didn't have such a gaudy glass lamp last time she visited.

Hubert passed them by, not even bothering to look at Ferdinand. He could only watch the prosecutor go, words lost before they were formed. 

–––

It was a bit empty in the office without Manuela's voice and constant complaining about her poor love life, but some of that gap was filled by Dorothea. She may not be an expert on law, but she was sharp, oh so very bright, and observant. It didn't take too long for them to start looking over cases together, Dorothea often being the ultimate judge of whether or not they were worth their time. She could see something he couldn't.

So she insisted that they _had_ to take this one of a children's show star being accused of murdering his co-star. Ferdinand didn't get it, but Dorothea's guidance hadn't failed him once. 

"I am Ferdinand von Aegir!" He introduced himself as always, wishing that a glass panel didn't separate them. 

"Dimitri," the man answered hesitantly. He was a hulking, giant man, and yet even with his unkempt hair and eye patch, he wasn't that imposing at all. "Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd." 

"This guy's the Steel Samurai?" Dorothea whispered, leaning in close. Dimitri didn't appear to have anything to say to that, sighing quietly.

"Everyone thinks I did it." Dimitri looked like he was somewhere far away. "You do as well, don't you?"

"No, I–"

"It's alright," Dimitri interrupted Ferdinand, hardly appearing upset about it. "I should have seen this coming." Ferdinand blinked. The guy was innocent, right? Dorothea didn't make mistakes. 

"Worry not, we shall represent you in court!" Ferdinand declared, hoping to instill some confidence in this man.

"Mhm! We'll make sure you're proven innocent, of course," Dorothea added, also smiling widely. "And–to be honest, I'm a big fan of your work." That garnered a slight shift, some spark lighting in Dimitri's eye.

He ended up agreeing to their offer. Dimitri was awfully reluctant for an innocent man, only being convinced by Dorothea's impassioned persuasion to save the hope of all the children that were fans of the Steel Samurai. 

–––

They had only made a little into the TV studio's entrance before they were stopped.

"YOU!" A piercing voice shouted, Ferdinand bristling up and Dorothea turned around instantly. Up came a scrappy looking man in a beige trench coat, his bright blue hair swept to one side. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"We are investigating the crime scene on behalf of Mr. Blaiddyd," Ferdinand spoke evenly. This guy was kind of familiar. 

"Oh yeah? Who even are you? You look pretty suspicious!" The man retorted, unfortunately looking too ready to throw hands.

"Ferdinand von–"

"AEGIR?" The blue haired man finished for him, surprised. "You're Aegir?"

"So what if he is?" Dorothea cut in, suspicious.

"It's all your fault that Hubert isn't feeling well!" 

–––

The detective, Caspar, apparently served right under Hubert, doing his investigations for him. 

"He's been out of it," Caspar said. "And it's all your fault."

"I only did what I was required to do," Ferdinand answered. "Was the loss that shocking to him?"

"Yeah, guess so." Despite everything, Caspar didn't seem that concerned about it. 

–––

It wasn't good. Everything was stacked against Dimitri. He was on camera as going to the studio that was the murder scene. There were others corroborating this. The only thing he could say in his defense is that he was asleep. 

"We cannot prove that it was the defendant that was on the security camera," Ferdinand met those stormy eyes of Hubert's, refusing to back down. "His face was not visible. It could have been anyone in the Steel Samurai suit!"

"But Aegir..." Hubert smiled. That wasn't good. "He was dragging his foot in the photo. As the security woman testified, Dimitri was injured that day during practice. There is no doubt that the man in the picture, obscured as he may be, was the defendant." What Ferdinand wouldn't do to wipe that sadistic smirk off the prosecutor's face. He couldn't _stand_ it. 

"Then it could have been someone who knew about the injury," Dorothea suggested.

"Someone who knew about the injury, and was unaccounted for during the time..." Ferdinand murmured.

"We have to think. Mercedes said she saw Dimitri heading to the studio, but she came too late to see Rufus go there himself." Dorothea started to count away on her fingers, frowning at them. "Felix was at the rehearsal as an assistant, but he can't back up the claims that Dimitri was asleep. If anything, he's skeptical of him..." She sighed. "That leaves Ashe, the boy that they couldn't stop from sneaking in, who couldn't have possibly been the one to take the suit. He's too small."

"Mercedes was there, and of course Rufus was, along with Dimitri, Felix, and Ashe..." The attorney went over again in his head, and suddenly, there was a spark. "That's it!" He exclaimed, and Dorothea perked up.

"You have an idea, Ferdie?" If anything, she seemed to believe it. 

"Yes–The defense would like to propose an idea!" He called out, smiling at Hubert without wavering. Hubert stared back. It was his turn for the smile to turn sour. "The person in the picture was not the defendant–but the victim, Rufus!" While the whole courtroom went up in excited chattering, Hubert shook his head, sighing deeply. 

"Alright then, Aegir. Prove it. Evidence is everything." The prosecutor said, but he couldn't hide the edge of curiosity on his voice. He really did want to know. 

There was a problem.

"Ferdie... We don't have evidence." Dorothea furiously rifled through the court record. "We don't have anything to prove that it was Rufus."

"Although Vestra has nothing to prove that it was Dimitri, either." Ferdinand raised a hand to his chin, thinking. They shared evidence, there was nothing that Hubert could have that Ferdinand wouldn't, either. They were at an impasse. 

"In lieu of evidence, I would like to request a witness testimony!" Ferdinand called. _No time to falter now. It's less than ideal, but it's all I got._

"The security woman again?" Hubert gave that sardonic grin. "I believed you to be smarter than that, Aegir. Clearly I was mistaken. Although if you wish to hear the same long-winded explanation again..."

"The defense calls the only other person who saw the rehearsal to the stand! Ashe Ubert!" The attorney shouted, perhaps too excited, but this was all they had. Hubert wasn't expecting it. He didn't have time to attempt to prepare the testimony. Dorothea drew in a sharp breath, clenching her fists below the desk. 

"The child?" Hubert looked confused. "Very well. But I will not tolerate any badgering of the witness from you this time, Aegir." 

Ferdinand smiled like nothing was wrong. Okay, so maybe he enjoyed it when Hubert was taken off guard. It was a much better look on him than the irritating, sly grin he normally had.

–––

Ashe was small, somewhat nervous, but ever so passionate about the Steel Samurai. With some pressing, they got it out of him: He snuck into the studios on the day of the murder, camera in hand. The Steel Samurai was defeated in a duel with a "bad guy." He was too far away to see who it was. 

"That doesn't make sense. The victim died in the Evil Magistrate costume, correct?" Ferdinand frowned.

"Now that I think about it, the crime scene was rather clean..." Dorothea tapped a finger to her chin delicately. "As was the costume." 

"So that means..." Hubert glanced away. "The victim was killed in the other costume."

"Yes! And Ashe provided pictures of the samurai going to Studio Two, not One!" Ferdinand smacked his fist into his open palm, enraptured by the revelation. "There is an issue. The Steel Samurai costume from the security footage is still unaccounted for, as was Rufus going to the studio."

"Aegir..." The prosecutor's voice was low, dangerous. His sharp stare was settled on Ferdinand, an unreadable look in his eyes. "What are you suggesting?"

"I am suggesting that we are mistaken about the scene of the crime!" Ferdinand made sure that he had his best and most radiant smile in return. If Hubert was searching for weakness, he wouldn't find it. "There is no trace of a struggle nor any blood for such a horrific stabbing occurring at Studio One. Therefore, we have the whole case wrong! With the new testimony, we have reason to believe that we did not investigate thoroughly enough to discern the truth!"

The courtroom erupted in chaos, and it took far too long for the Judge to reign it back in.

–––

"I can't believe you managed to do it." Dimitri appeared shocked, but pleasantly so. 

"I told you there would be nothing to worry about!" Ferdinand beamed. "Once we understand the actual sequence of events further, your freedom will be assured."

"Don't rest on your laurels just yet, Mr. Lawyer." Dorothea gave him a friendly slap on the back. "We're not out of the woods yet!" Right. The judge, this tall, green haired woman named Rhea with a stare like no other, had insisted that Ferdinand was to understand the true manner of the crime and the real culprit if it were not his own client. Hubert had the much easier request between the two of them. _Reevaluate your goals and your relationship with the truth._ He'd been awfully quiet after that. 

"Very well then, Dorothea. Shall we continue searching for answers? We only have until tomorrow."

–––

Mercedes had let it slip that there were studio big wigs that had been present, but had asked to be left out of the investigation. 

"I've been _trying,"_ Caspar grumbled. "But I'm getting nowhere. I'm investigating Studio One all over again, but there's nothing new." 

"Whoever committed the crime must have gone to great lengths to cover it up." Dorothea was wary of the large studio building, eyeing it with something of fear. "We were looking around Studio Two. There's nothing there." 

"I did look around there myself." The Detective pulled a notepad out of his coat. "The only thing suspicious I found was an incinerator that had been used recently."

"Anything in there?" Ferdinand asked, leaning over to read the notepad. On second thought, the handwriting was so awful, he couldn't decipher it. 

"Nope. Just a lot of ash." Caspar shook his head. "But if you find anything, let me know."

"Aren't you working for Vestra?" Dorothea finally asked, voicing the question that had been at the back of Ferdinand's head since the beginning of the conversation. They were enemies. Sharing details with each other casually.

"Yeah, but–" Caspar gave a lopsided grin. "He's onto something. He said it was okay to share things with you. Said that it wouldn't help your case anyway." 

"Ah... that sounds like him." Ferdinand sighed. "Thank you very much, Detective. Should we find anything else, we will share it with you." 

–––

The next day in court, they had to close in, or all would be lost. All they managed to pull was the producer, who barely cooperated in the first place. She had little to say to them, and what Ferdinand could make out was not good. She had the whole studio under control.

"I had nothing to do with the case, so I requested to be left out of the proceedings." This woman, Cornelia, was definitely giving off some kind of unpleasant aura. She was calm. Cold. All too put together. 

And _definitely_ hiding something.

"There was a murder at your studio!" Ferdinand pushed as hard as he could. There was nothing else. If he didn't worm the truth out of her, then Dimitri was good as dead. "How could you say you had nothing to do with it?"

"Because I didn't," Cornelia spoke plainly, like she was talking to a child. "I was in a meeting with higher ups for several hours. Because of poor weather conditions, that giant, hideous monkey clock fell over and blocked the path until 4 PM. The murder took place at 2:30. I could not have gotten to Studio One in fifteen minutes, especially if the path was blocked. I have an iron clad alibi." She was too proud of that.

"An alibi from a liar," Dorothea hissed under her breath. "Come on, Ferdie. She's hiding something. You have to make her crack!"

"I know," Ferdinand muttered, going over the facts in his head again. The path was blocked. They took a break at the exact window of the time of the murder. The body wasn't discovered until after 4. Dimitri's sudden and long nap that had put him out of an alibi had evidence of being drug induced. Cornelia was rumored to have very unsavory connections. Talk of a deadly accident that involved Rufus years ago. The van was parked at Studio Two. The missing Steel Samurai costume. The immaculate state of the supposed scene of the crime. There was a story coming together, but Ferdinand was grasping at straws, desperate to pull together what actually happened from scant facts.

"I believe it is possible for you to commit a murder in the time of the break!" Ferdinand slammed his hands on the desk. "As Ashe testified yesterday, the Steel Samurai was seen at Studio Two, not One! You were at the other studio, and took a break at the time of death. You could have murdered Rufus and moved the body afterwards!"

"Could have," Cornelia repeated, scoffing. "That's only speculation. You've merely been saying 'could have, might have' the entire time. So what?" She was right. Ferdinand didn't have evidence. A cold sweat ran down the back of his neck. How was he supposed to do this? It was her. She did it. But he had nothing to prove it. 

"Witness, could you please testify about what you were doing when the body was discovered?" Ferdinand blinked. That question wasn't from him. Cornelia looked away from him, her teeth gritted for a moment.

"Vestra, is something bothering you?" She tried to sound sweet, or maybe she wasn't even trying–Cornelia was downright venomous. Hubert didn't flinch. 

"I'm asking you to testify about what you did when you found the body," He repeated, slower. "Aegir has proven that there is no possibility for you to be at Studio One at the time of the murder, but your role here is still unclear. I see no issue in asking you to clarify the events after you left Studio Two." 

"Very well." The redhead woman was not pleased. Ferdinand glanced up at Hubert, only locking gazes for a second. There was no malice, only a look that said _go on._

He was setting them up for the decisive blow.

Ferdinand grinned wider than he ever had. "The defense will gladly cross-examine!"

"I needed to go back to Studio Two to retrieve the script after we discovered the body," Cornelia explained smoothly.

"You didn't take it with you?" Ferdinand questioned, tilting his head. It was odd. 

"One of the actors was dead. There wouldn't be any further rehearsals." She elaborated further. 

"Makes sense," Ferdinand agreed. 

"I have a question." Hubert cut in again. Ferdinand gestured to let Hubert speak freely, and the prosecutor nodded. "You left the script behind because you knew there would be no rehearsals, namely because one of the actors was deceased." 

"That's correct."

"You left the studio before the body was discovered. As far as you knew, the rehearsals would continue." Hubert's lip twitched into that very obnoxious grin. He paused. 

"So there would have been no reason for you to leave the script if you expected things to play out normally!" Ferdinand picked up where Hubert left off in a heartbeat. "You knew ahead of time that there would be no further work being done that day!" Cornelia flinched, tensing up, glaring at both lawyers. 

"Vestra, are you even on my side?" She snarled, beginning to unravel.

"The truth knows no sides," Hubert answered, turning away from her in favor of setting his gaze on the attorney. Ferdinand knew what this meant. _Time to finish this._

"I could not agree more." Ferdinand slammed his hands on the desk again. "You were aware of the murder before it was discovered by the others! You cannot deny your involvement!"

"As Aegir has discussed, it would have been very easy for you to move the body with the van."

"And you created the perfect alibi for yourself by taking advantage of the blocked road, making others believe the scene of the crime was elsewhere."

"So there is reason to believe you are the culprit in this murder. There were even means for you to destroy evidence."

Cornelia stood there, silent, most of her contempt resting on Hubert. The man couldn't care less. Ferdinand stood strong, watching Cornelia's carefully build facade crumble into sheer rage. 

"Aren't you two clever." She hissed, clenching her hands so tight that her knuckles turned white. "It seems I've lost this battle."

–––

It was always great to see the relief on someone's face when they were proven not guilty. Dimitri smiled in a way he hadn't before, the others from the studio gathering around him to congratulate him on his victory. Yet Ferdinand's mind was elsewhere.

"Vestra!" Before Hubert could slip away, Ferdinand chased after him, leaving Dorothea startled and thinking of reaching out for his black sleeve–but he thought twice on that. "Vestra, wait, please!" Upon the second call, Hubert stopped, turning to face him. His eyes wouldn't meet Ferdinand's. 

"Come to rub your victory in my face?" He asked, a very insincere smile welling up. "How unbecoming of you, Aegir."

"You knew," Ferdinand said breathlessly. "You knew it was her all along." Hubert hesitantly looked back, mildly surprised. 

"Yes," He answered. "I'm not a fool, Aegir. I wouldn't let the true criminal get away." 

"But you were determined to get Dimitri convicted!" The attorney shot back, bewildered. "Why would you push so hard when you knew he was innocent?" Dorothea caught up in this moment, but she didn't speak yet, keeping somewhat of a distance from the pair.

"Someone has to cut down your wild theories into something more... suitable." Hubert let out something like a chuckle. "But no longer. This will be the last we meet."

"Excuse me?"

"In retrospect, it would have been better had we not met. Thanks to you, I am saddled with unnecessary... feelings." For a moment, Hubert almost seemed... vulnerable. He wouldn't look at Ferdinand, choosing to stare off into the distance, brow knitted in disdain.

"Unnecessary feelings?" Ferdinand repeated incredulously.

"Yes. Unease... and uncertainty."

"Are those not considered necessary?" Ferdinand tilted his head to the side, confused. "Everyone feels those things, Vestra."

"If I did not meet you again, then I would have never felt them." Whatever window that was open slammed shut just as quickly as it appeared. "Goodbye, Aegir." Hubert turned, swiftly walking away, not looking back once. 

"What a jerk!" Dorothea let out a heavy sigh. "Ferdie... did you... know him before this?" Ferdinand thought back to their childhood. To the boy who was the only one who spoke up in defense of another who no one believed in. 

"Yes," Ferdinand answered, his gaze lingering on where Hubert once stood. "You could say that we did. But I am beginning to get the feeling that I never did truly know him." Things were so different back then. Back in the day, as children, Hubert had vowed to be the one to do the dirty work of protecting those who no one would stand up for, and Ferdinand watched, eyes wide and full of admiration. 

_What went wrong? When did he lose his way?_

–––

On Christmas morning, Ferdinand carefully wrapped a box with a brand new wine red dress in it. It was Dorothea's color, after all, and she had lamented that she didn't make enough money to buy clothes truly suitable for higher end events that she seemed so interested in hanging around. (Dorothea was so odd–she had an open dislike of rich people, but kept spending time with them, trying to appear as if she could fit in with the crowd. Ferdinand thought to ask what was up with that, but she seemed offended over it.)

In the midst of his wrapping, Dorothea burst into his office, newspaper in hand. 

"Ferdie," She gasped, face flushed red from exertion and her hair was a mess. She didn't have time to fix her appearance before dashing all the way here from home. "Ferdie. We _have_ to do something." She threw the newspaper before him, ignorant of the gift meant for her, pointing right to the top article.

"Hubert von Vestra accused of murder?!" Ferdinand almost shouted, standing up. "We are going. Now." 

–––

"I told you that I never wanted to see you again." Hubert wouldn't look at him. 

"Is that any way to speak to him?" Dorothea immediately got ruffled up, but Ferdinand held out a hand to quell her. Or at least hold her back. 

"Vestra." Ferdinand spoke firmly. "I would like to offer to represent you in court."

"You don't know what you're getting into, Aegir." Hubert kept his voice low. "The one prosecuting this case is Thales. He is far stronger than anyone else you've ever faced."

"Come now, Vestra. He cannot be that bad."

"He is," Hubert insisted, finally looking up at him and Dorothea. "He's the one who taught me. In his forty years in court, he has never suffered a single loss. His record is immaculate."

"Oh." Dorothea blinked slowly. "That's... a lot, actually."

"It matters not who I am to go against." Ferdinand didn't look away. Hubert was only separated from him by a pane of glass and his own apprehension. "I do not believe you did it." 

"You don't know that." That damn smirk appeared, Hubert's gaze drifting away. "I did it. There's no other explanation." 

"That's not true!" Ferdinand shouted, hands shaking, and he stood up. "I shall discover the truth! I know you to be innocent!" before Hubert could say anything, he turned to leave. If the prosecutor wasn't going to work with him, then Ferdinand would work around him. 

–––

Ferdinand rushed to Gourd Lake, the scene of the crime, and a certain detective was already there, furiously conducting the investigation.

"Hey! You guys are representing Vestra, right?" Caspar was all fire, running right up to Ferdinand and Dorothea. 

"We tried." Dorothea shook her head. "He refused us."

"Huh?" This completely confused the detective. "Why would he do that? You should have heard him after the last case. He spent a lot of time just muttering 'Aegir, Aegir...' over and over under his breath!" Caspar grabbed Ferdinand's hand, his grip crushing. "You've got to help him. I'll tell you everything I know about the murder, but you've gotta promise to help Hubert!" Ferdinand swallowed thickly. Hubert had said no. But flying by on small chances was Ferdinand's entire career. 

"Of course," Ferdinand said, shaking Caspar's hand in agreement. "We will do whatever it takes to help Vestra."

"Alright!" Caspar whooped, instantly excited. "Lemme show you guys the way!" 

They didn't find a lot, only Caspar handing them a metal detector to find some various debris like a busted air tank. Oddly enough, Dimitri was out there, asking if they'd seen a dog. Dorothea directed him towards the Samurai Hot Dogs stand. Something had really gone wild over there while the crowd was away.

–––

Once the investigation was over, Ferdinand returned to the detention center alone, calling upon Hubert again. For some reason, the prosecutor agreed.

"Vestra." Ferdinand sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair, his hands clenched in his lap. "Let me represent you."

"No." Hubert refused again, just as easily. 

"Thales does not scare me." 

"He should. You stand no chance at winning."

"So _what?"_ Ferdinand's anger welled up more, too much for him to hold back. "Vestra, please–" He unpinned the golden badge from his lapel, holding it up to the glass. "Look at this. This is my attorney's badge." Hubert's dark eyes flickered over to it, quickly flicking back to Ferdinand with a level of confusion.

"What of it?"

"It is my oath," He explained. "My promise to protect the innocent. If I were to back down because of concern over my win rate, then I would not be worthy of it." His fingertips ever so gently pressed against the glass, his head rolling forward. "Please, Hubert. I know you did not kill that man. Let me prove it. Thales does not frighten me. The thought of you being convicted of a crime you did not commit... does." When he received no answer, Ferdinand feared the worst. Hubert still would turn away, preferring to self destruct than simply reach out. 

"Very well," Hubert said. "I shall request for you to be my attorney." Ferdinand sighed in relief, his heart fluttering in his chest. 

"You'll be free before you know it!"

–––

It was even worse than the last case. The victim was a man, Franklin von Varley, a decently well known defense attorney whose only notable case was his involvement in one DL-6. Two shots were heard over the lake in the middle of the night at 12:15–There were two witnesses. Hubert's fingerprints were on the gun. He was seen leaving a boat afterwards. When arrested, he confessed to the crime. It was the most damning case Ferdinand had ever heard.

When Thales stood at the prosecution's side, Ferdinand suddenly understood. He was imposing, just existing there, with his white hair and spotless suit, and even Judge Rhea didn't seem too keen on him. He didn't say a word, simply waiting.

"The uh, defense is ready, Your Honor," Ferdinand spoke up.

"The prosecution has been ready." Thales added right after him. "And this trial will end in three minutes."

"This trial will take as long as it needs," Rhea insisted, her brow creased in irritation already.

"Three minutes," Thales repeated. "We have all the evidence we need." Ferdinand's heart was racing. This was bad. The prosecution was far too confident. They had evidence, and now, they were calling a witness. The witness was this man who looked like he'd rather be taking a nap, dressed for comfort with his long dark green hair tied loosely. 

"Witness. Your name and occupation." Thales demanded quickly.

"Lindhardt von Hevring," he said slowly, even letting out a yawn. "I'm a student." This wasn't good. Linhardt looked like he hardly cared. Thales was a little ruffled about it, tense as the witness spoke slowly. 

Linhardt was camping at the lake for reasons. Photographing the stars on a foggy night. Suddenly he heard a gunshot, looked out over the lake, saw two people in a boat–he didn't look closely, though. Another shot. One fell. Hubert was the one holding the gun. To make things worse, he even had a photo. 

"This photo is... unclear." Ferdinand held a copy in his hands. It was thick with aforementioned fog, and it was too far away to identify who was who in it. All that was clear was that there were two men and one of them had shot a gun. "Who is who in it?"

"Does it matter?" Thales scoffed. "Vestra's fingerprints were on the murder weapon. He fired it. There is no room for arguing." 

"I think it matters greatly!" Ferdinand shouted. "If we have no physical proof that it was actually Vestra who was the one firing the gun in the photo, then we cannot claim that it was him!"

"The witness has testified that it was him. You can cross-examine all you like, but the facts won't change. You've already wasted fifteen minutes when the verdict should have been reached ten minutes ago." Thales was too full of himself. Ferdinand could see where Hubert got his technique from. It was infuriating in all the worst ways.

"I shall continue with the cross examination!" Ferdinand was fired up, and Dorothea along with him. 

So Linhardt explained again. He heard the shots, grabbed his binoculars, and looked all over the lake before finally finding the small boat. He could see the two men, except not very clearly since the fog, and the photo was unclear too. 

"Are you sure that it was Vestra that was holding the gun?"

"Mostly," Linhardt said, yawning again. 

"I tire of this line of questioning, Aegir." Thales interrupted. "You've done nothing but confirm that it was Vestra there. It is time for the verdict. You have no evidence and none of your precious contradictions." _No, no, no!_ It couldn't possibly be too late–There had to be something, but the testimony that could have saved them was too perfectly vague. What was he supposed to do to that?

"The court finds the defendant, Hubert von Vestra..." Rhea was starting to speak out, raising the gavel to condemn Hubert for good. Ferdinand was frozen. What could he do? What was there that he hadn't already tried? Was this it?

"No!" Dorothea screamed. "I refuse! Linhardt... your testimony is _terrible!"_ There was a moment of silence as everyone caught up with what she said. 

"Silence!" Thales shouted over her. "If you speak out any more, you'll be held in contempt of the court!"

"You're not explaining anything! You're only saying that you MIGHT have seen something! How is that _decisive?!"_ Dorothea didn't back down, even as the bailiffs showed up to drag her out. "Did you see Vestra, or not?" 

"I saw him." Linhardt was still casual despite the claims. "At least, that's what the prosecution told me to say." 

No matter how hard Rhea tried, the courtroom would not calm down after that. 

–––

Ferdinand was spending more and more time at the detention center these days. Now Dorothea sat behind the window, like she had half a year ago, but this time she wasn't so worried. 

"It's not so hard the second time around," She said. "Can you believe it? When they questioned me, they were like 'what did you do this time?' as if I hadn't been proven innocent before!" 

"Your bail is obnoxiously high..." Ferdinand sighed. "I will do what I can, but I am afraid that it may take a while."

"Ferdie." Dorothea moved closer to the glass, pressing her palm upon it. "Don't worry about me. You have to save Hubert." He stared at her in silence, and nodded slowly.

"I will." He promised. "I will not let what you did be in vain."

"Alright, your time's up, get out." A guard came by, but instead of shooing out Ferdinand, he was on the other side, urging Dorothea up.

"I'm free?" She asked, ready to press further.

"Your bail was paid for, and you're being let off with a warning."

"By _who?"_

"Hubert von Vestra paid for your bail, ma'am." The guard ushered them out, the two of them silent from shock. 

All they had afterwards was a note from Hubert: _I took care of Miss Arnault's situation. Caspar will share everything he finds, regardless of what Thales says._

_You must know that I didn't fire the gun. To be honest, I thought the man shot himself, strange as that is. But I did pick it up._

Still unclear, but the lawyer thought that at least Hubert wasn't saying that he did it anymore.

–––

There was another witness. Even worse than the last.

An old man named Tomas lived alone in the boat rental shack with his parrot. He apparently mistook Ferdinand and Dorothea as his own children with different names. He was strange. He seemed worthless. Until that parrot spoke out–

"Polly, what's the code for the safe?" Dorothea teasingly asked. 

"1228!" The bird squawked.

"Dorothea!" Ferdinand was aghast. "That is private information!"

"I wonder what else the bird knows." Dorothea giddily rubbed her hands together. "Polly, is there anything we're forgetting?"

"Don't forget DL-6!" Polly sang back. In that moment Ferdinand knew that the end was further away than he imagined.

–––

Ferdinand's investigation took them to the archives in the police department under Caspar's blessing, only to find out they weren't alone. Thales was there, hurriedly clearing out one particular file. 

"What are you doing here?" Ferdinand demanded, instantly wary, while Dorothea stood near, equally as tense. 

"Looking up information on an old case," Thales replied smoothly and shifted so his back was to the cabinets. "What a coincidence. Were you also here to do the same?"

"Naturally. I had some curiosities that could be solved by reviewing information that was collected here." The lawyer could see Dorothea creeping around the two slowly, slinking out of Thales' line of sight. Ferdinand kept his gaze trained on the prosecutor in all his unsettling glory. She cast Ferdinand a single look, and moved with a surprising, practiced grace. She was very silent for a woman wearing stiletto heels.

"How odd that you are in the section for D." Thales didn't buy Ferdinand's vagueness in the slightest. "You've figured out the connection, haven't you? No matter. Tomorrow, Hubert von Vestra will confess his guilt." Ferdinand bit his lip, trying not to betray his calm exterior–not when Dorothea plucked a file from the drawer. She folded it right into her jacket, making a thumbs up, and started to return to a less suspicious position.

"There will be no such thing," Ferdinand said firmly. "Hubert is innocent. We will not fold to the likes of you."

"Then I will have no choice but to crush you." Thales smiled wide, reaching for the drawer and taking what remained of DL-6.

–––

They got right to work with the stolen file. All it had was a summary, and a single bullet, collected as evidence.

The clock beeped for 3:00 AM and Ferdinand was no closer to understanding all the pieces. Papers were scattered all over the table in the office and Dorothea sat across from him, flipping through pages with seemingly no pattern.

"I'm going to make some tea." Ferdinand stretched out, rising to his feet. This was going nowhere. 

"Varley was the defense attorney on DL-6," Dorothea murmured, frowning. "But why is this connected? Why did Thales not want us to know?" Ferdinand shrugged, walking towards the electric kettle. It wasn't his favorite method for making tea, but Manuela had bought it forever ago to go along with the coffee grinder he didn't use. 

"There has to be a connection," Ferdinand mused aloud. "It appears to be too coincidental that the witness owned a parrot that... spoke of DL-6, and the victim was involved as well." 

"Then what's the identity of the witness?" Dorothea buried a hand into her hair, making a frustrated sound. The electric kettle hummed to life, making a loud, grating hissing as it heated up the water. "If he's connected... he does seem rather old..." Ferdinand let her talk without much of an answer, focusing on the beeping of the finished kettle, pouring the boiling water into a mug. What he wouldn't do for a properly brewed tea in a beautiful ceramic pot. 

"What do we do know about DL-6?" He asked, knowing the answer: Not a lot.

"It was a highly secretive case over the death of a defense attorney." Dorothea plucked a file from the table mess. "The details are kept obscured because it was unclear and rumor has it that the investigation was messed up, and bad." 

"Er... 'messed up' how?"

"They won't say..." Dorothea looked ready to throw the whole file in the trash, but suddenly her eyes went wide. "Ferdie, I found something. The victim in DL-6..." She hesitated, lips parted in words that would not escape so easily. 

"What is it?"

"He was Hubert's father." 

"You cannot be serious!" Ferdinand hurried back to her side, looking over her shoulder at the old copy of the file. But it was written, clear as day, Vestra. Hubert had even been listed as a potential suspect.

DL-6 was the ever unclear murder of Alton von Vestra, who died in an elevator after an earthquake with a bullet in his heart. Trapped there with him was the security, a man named Solon, and his grade school son, Hubert. The investigation had gone horribly, and the only two who had survived told the same story: The oxygen in the elevator had grown thin, and they passed out. The murder weapon was fired twice. Neither of them knew who did it. It had to have been Solon, the grown man, rather than the child. Besides, what motive would a ten year old have for murdering his own father? The case was closed on December 28th, fifteen years ago, but the true culprit was never found.

"I must talk to Hubert about this," Ferdinand grumbled, sighing. It was too early in the morning. He'd have to go before court. 

"I'll read everything I can." Dorothea pulled more of the sea of papers towards her. "You focus on the current case."

"Good." Ferdinand recalculated their entire plan of attack in his mind. If DL-6 was really this deeply intertwined with today's, then there would be no avoiding it.

–––

They didn't have much time, stuck in the lobby before court started. 

"Hubert." Ferdinand dared to reach out, grabbing his sleeve. "You must tell me what you know about DL-6."

"I had hoped you would have stayed away from that," Hubert sighed. "It appears that it is too late to prevent you from knowing. Very well." 

Ferdinand watched his face while Hubert would only look at the wall, his pale face dusted with a light pink, and it only occurred to Ferdinand when they had to part that he'd been holding his sleeve the whole time. 

–––

The day Hubert's father had managed to get a penalty on Thales for his brutal and shady methods, it all went to hell. Alton von Vestra died, and Thales disappeared on the only vacation he ever took in his entire career right after. Yet for some reason, Thales still took the now fatherless young boy under his wing, teaching him everything he knew about prosecution.

_"Every night, I have a dream. It's more like a nightmare, actually. But in this dream, I was the one who shot my father. There's no doubt about it. I threw the gun and it discharged. Accident or not, I killed him, Aegir. Your faith is misplaced."_

–––

He wouldn't let his faith in Hubert's innocence waver. Sure, the man looked like a vampire, and his reputation as the demon prosecutor didn't come from nowhere, but he wasn't a murderer. Whoever was the true killer was still obscured, but that would come to light. Ferdinand von Aegir would not rest until the guilty were caught and the innocent were free. 

Tomas, with an airy voice, testified the same thing Linhardt had said. Two shots. One man fell. Hubert walked past the boat rental shack where the old man was, muttering about how he couldn't believe Varley was dead.

"What was the point of drawing this out another day?" Thales interrupted Ferdinand's methodical questioning, not a care in the world. "We aren't learning anything new. Vestra's guilty. Close the case!" 

"No! I... I object!" Ferdinand shouted, scrambling mentally. _What am I missing? There's a way to turn this over! Something we're not understanding! We're not perceiving this correctly!_

"There isn't anything for you to object to, unless you want to again reiterate what we already know." Thales wasn't letting Rhea talk at all. He had... a habit of that, really, constantly making sure no one could speak but him. "It's over, Aegir. You've lost."

"Ferdie, do something! If I speak out I'll be arrested again!" Dorothea grabbed his arm, her grip painfully tight, pleading him with her eyes. 

"I am trying, but I–" Ferdinand gulped. He was at a blank. There was nothing he could pull this time that would save Hubert. "I do not know what to do." Dorothea opened her mouth to continue speaking, stopped by the doors to the courtroom suddenly slamming open and a new voice ringing clear. 

"Wait! You must wait! I was there!" Dimitri rushed in, his hair hastily pulled into a ponytail (that left some hair out, Ferdinand noted) and looking like he wasn't prepared to be here today at all in a winter coat and jeans. "I can testify about the murder!" Ferdinand's mouth fell open, words struggling to find form. Was this their second miraculous chance? Dimitri had stirred up enough chaos that Thales couldn't control even if the man was now wincing from his own actions. 

"Thales has no idea what Dimitri will say." Ferdinand stood up straighter, his shoulders squared, holding himself with a renewed vigor. "This is our chance."

"I'll do my best," Dorothea slapped her hands on the desk, not quite with the same energy as Ferdinand did. "For Hubert!" 

"For Hubert," the lawyer agreed.

It was simple. After he apologized for interrupting, the testimony began. Dimitri's dog, Idris, had gotten out of the yard, and he had run everywhere looking for the sweet little baby that evening. Felix had been with him but had split before the lake. Nevertheless, deep into the night on Christmas Eve, Dimitri was at Gourd Lake looking for clues of dear Idris. Felix had texted him saying that it was almost Christmas, and that they should continue the search during the day when it was not foggy and pitch black. He heard a single shot, but didn't see where it came from. To his knowledge, there was no boat with two men on it.

"So you are saying... that it was almost Christmas?" Ferdinand repeated for clarity.

"Yes," Dimitri answered, nodding. "That's what Felix said. My phone would have a record of when the message was sent as well..." 

"This isn't important. The witness seems uncertain on many of the details. There were two shots fired, and he didn't see a boat." Thales shook his finger like he was chiding a kid. "He also only has one eye. How can we be sure he saw anything with clarity?" Ferdinand bit back an angered remark in return. Patience, patience... the time for fury on Dimitri's behalf would come. Not that Dimitri seemed too put off by the comment...

"Perhaps there was nothing for him to see," Ferdinand carefully suggested instead. "It was almost Christmas."

"Why is the fact that it was Christmas Eve important?" Rhea interjected, perplexed. 

"It is extremely important because we have established one thing very clearly: Two shots were heard on the lake at 12:15." Ferdinand leaned forward, one hand on the desk. "If it was almost Christmas, as the witness is testifying to and can produce evidence of, and only one shot was heard–then that was not, in fact, the same shooting that he witnessed!"

"You're speculating again," Thales scolded.

"Think again, Thales!" Ferdinand cast his hand out in an accusatory point, and Dorothea let out a soft _"Oh!"_ and she pulled up a page of the court record. 

"The murder weapon was fired three times!" She looked up, eyes sparkling. "The third shot was unaccounted for until now!"

"So the defense would like to put forth the concept that the murder took place not on the boat, but at the boat rental shop before midnight!" 

"Then who was on the boat? Who was the man Vestra shot?" It was the first time Thales looked unnerved this entire time. For how big he appeared, so much of it seemed to be merely fluff on his outfit, with the overdone cravat and large cuffs on his jacket. 

"There is an issue. The murder weapon was fired twice, very conveniently in time for a witness to turn and see, along with a picture." Ferdinand glanced to Hubert on the defense bench–he was present, but would not speak in the slightest, and he appeared startled by the attorney's sudden attention. "Vestra was not the one who fired the weapon. It was the one who was in the boat with him–The man drew attention, and then set up exactly what he wanted us to see." 

"Who _was_ it?" Thales demanded. 

"None other than Tomas, the caretaker!" Ferdinand shouted, sweeping his hand out, not caring how dramatic it looked. "He is connected to the DL-6 case, as was the victim. His true identity is Solon! He had a motive in enacting revenge on the men that ruined his life!"

"You can't prove the connection. No one knows who the old man is." The prosecution was quick to try and shut it down. Thales didn't look perturbed at all. "You have many wild and entertaining fantasies, Aegir, but I grow tired of your games. The only way you could stoop lower is to cross-examine the man's parrot." He laughed at this, and Ferdinand clenched his hands.

"There is one who knows who the old man is." Ferdinand spoke, measured and clear. "The defense would like to call the parrot to the stand!" He barely finished his sentence before the courtroom erupted in discord, Rhea shouting repeatedly to pull everyone back into order. 

–––

"This is so stupid," Dorothea groaned. The brilliant red bird stood on her perch, preening herself without a care in the world.

"The parrot likes you more," Ferdinand said, eyeing the parrot warily. "Get her to speak." 

"Polly," The brunette called out, breathing in slowly. "Is there anything we're forgetting?" This was it. This was the moment. 

The bird did not answer. 

"No!" Ferdinand hissed, leaning close to Dorothea to speak in secret. "Did Thales foresee this as well?"

"The things rich men will do for status..." She grumbled. "Polly, what's the code to the safe?" She was more fed up with this, her tone flat. 

"1228!" The bird chirped in a heartbeat. They both stared. 

"That is something." Ferdinand couldn't hold back a grimace. It was... something.

"That's today's date," Dorothea remarked, and suddenly it all fell into place. A fifteen year old case. December 28th. The bird. The shopkeeper. In that moment, the sun finally poked through the stormy skies. 

"That's it!" He yelled. "That is the proof we need–The old man's safe is the date to DL-6!"

"Objection! That's not enough–"

"It is, in fact," Dorothea cut in, DL-6 file in hand. "The defendant in DL-6 had a fiance who soon committed suicide from all the bad publicity. Her name... was Polly."

Before Thales could decry two strange coincidences, the old man spoke up. 

"That's enough," Tomas took the stand, a sharp look in his once friendly eyes. "Let's bring this farce to an end. You're right. My name is Solon. I killed Varley. All I needed... was revenge. I may not have gotten Vestra, but at the very least... I got one of them." He admitted to the plan to commit the murder while framing Hubert without any fanfare–One day, he got a letter. Kill Varley in the comfort of his own home, call Hubert out on the lake, shoot once to make sure there were witnesses and shoot again to make it seem like Hubert killed him before dropping the gun and falling into the water, swimming back and throwing Varley's body into the lake. It was the perfect crime. If only, if only. The person who sent him the plans sure did make a great one. 

Ferdinand stared, this moment in time feeling fake, but it was over. They did it. Hubert would be free.

"The court finds the defendant, Hubert von Vestra, not guilty." Rhea slammed the hammer down and pronounced Hubert a free man, and Dorothea whooped in excitement, giddily leaping up clasping the lawyer's hand. 

"We did it," She laughed, her face warm and bright. "He's innocent." Ferdinand grinned, getting ready to thank Dorothea for her steadfast support, and–

_"Objection!"_

Oddly enough, it wasn't Thales. 

–––

"The statute of limitations runs out on DL-6 today," Hubert spoke hurriedly, hands gripped on the witness stand border tightly. "It was unsolved, but no longer. I murdered my father, Alton von Vestra, and the caretaker was pinned with the murder instead of me."

"Hubert!" Ferdinand shouted, but Thales retorted with an Objection! to shut him up. 

"You heard him. It runs out today. We have to solve this case now, and it's very convenient for us that the killer was present and willing to fess up." Thales was smiling. He knew. He knew all along. _Hubert von Vestra will confess his guilt._

"The defense will cross-examine his testimony!" Ferdinand looked up to Rhea, silently pleading her for mercy. _Please realize this. Please realize that Thales has been hiding the truth. Please give us a chance!_

"I'll allow it," Rhea said, not an ounce of doubt in her voice. 

"Your Honor, we have a confession–"

"I'll allow it." Rhea restated, even more strongly than before. "Aegir, if you will." That tiny piece of help was all Ferdinand needed. He had very little in terms of old evidence, but he had enough. He had a picture of the crime scene, a bullet, a gun that had been fired twice, and a case file. It wasn't a lot, but he'd done worse. 

He just became the first person to defeat Thales in court, after all. 

–––

"That day, I had gone to the courtroom to observe one of my father's trials. As we went to leave, an earthquake struck, trapping us in the elevator. My father and Solon lost their composure, and began to argue. Just then, something heavy fell at my feet. I picked it up, and threw it at Solon. I wanted them to stop fighting. A moment later, there was a single gunshot, and then a scream. It was a terrible scream. I remember it to this day."

Hubert's nightmare. Ferdinand could already see the flaw in the story.

"Hubert, you should not take your dreams so seriously," Ferdinand chided, keeping a light demeanor despite the fact that the other man's life was on the line. "The evidence here is simple. The murder weapon was fired twice."

"I misremembered it," Hubert retorted plainly. 

"I think not!" Ferdinand pulled the picture out. "See, this photo of the crime scene shows not just your father after the murder, but look–" He pointed to a bullet hole in the elevator glass. "There is in fact, evidence that indeed the gun was fired twice at the scene of the crime. Given what we know, there may have been a fourth person on the scene."

"Only one bullet was found in the heart of the victim, and there were only three people in the elevator." Thales tapped his fingers on the prosecution's desk, impatient. "This is very compelling, Aegir, but as per usual is nothing but bluffing and hot air. There weren't any clues found back then, and you won't find any now."

"But the gun was shot twice. I have evidence of such. The broken window and the weapon–"

"Then where is the second bullet?" The prosecutor slammed his hand. Ferdinand's mind went blank. _Ah. The bullet. The second bullet that wasn't found at the crime scene. It was never found. Why isn't it there?_

"Maybe the killer took it with him." He wasn't sure at all, but he had to try. 

"Aegir, that's ridiculous." Hubert shook his head. "Why would someone take one bullet and leave the other, along with the murder weapon?"

"The weapon was wiped of prints, so whoever did it was already methodical." Dorothea had the file in hand, eyes darting all over the lines in a practiced pattern. "There were also no clues found at the scene. It's reasonable to think that the murderer was cleaning up–"

"That doesn't change anything," Thales interrupted her. "Vestra is correct. Why would your so called fourth person take a bullet while leaving everything else?" Ah. That was a good question, wasn't it? Ferdinand hadn't thought that far. He had only gone as far as to think there was a second bullet, from a weapon fired twice when Hubert only remembered one. Was this really where his entire case fell through? He had so little to work with, this fourth member theory was all he had, and it was as flimsy as wet toilet paper. It took next to nothing to destroy all he had strived for. _I'm sorry, Hubert. I couldn't save you._

"Ferdie." Dorothea pulled him out of his thoughts, pinching his cheek with a bit of a pout on her face. "When you get that look I know you're lost in thought–too lost. Where are you right now?" 

"He is right," Ferdinand admitted weakly. "I do not know why the second bullet is missing. I don't know what reason the murderer would have to take it."

"You're asking the wrong question." The brunette shook her head, raising a finger in a fashion all too similar to her late mentor. "Don't ask 'why did the murderer take the bullet.' Ask 'why did he have no choice but to take it?"

"Why did he have no choice...?" Ferdinand mused over it quietly. "Why did he have no choice..." _He had no choice but to take it. That would be because..._ "Could it be that the murderer was shot himself?" 

"That's preposterous!" Thales shouted. "You don't even know who it is!" 

"It could account for the missing bullet, but Aegir..." Hubert humored this enough, raising a hand to his chin as he thought. "We still don't know who did it. Could you possibly prove it?" Evidence. They needed evidence. He didn't have a lot, but he had an idea. Someone was slighted the day of the murder. Someone who was present. 

"I have a theory..." Ferdinand started slowly. "There is someone with possible motive. Someone had their pride hurt by Mr. Vestra on that day, and perhaps saw a possible chance... Thales. Thales was also taking everything out of the DL-6 case files yesterday, perhaps as a ploy to withhold evidence from me." _it wouldn't be too out of character even with you, especially since you taught Hubert to do the same._

"Aegir, you have a record of... baseless accusations, but this is a new low, even for you." Thales was oddly calm. A small spark flew in Ferdinand's mind–not once this entire trial did Thales raise his right arm. "I wasn't there. I couldn't have committed the murder. Besides, Hubert has confessed to it himself."

"The DL-6 case appears to be quite personal to you, Thales." Ferdinand had one more thing–something Caspar had lent him and Dorothea in their mission. Something that had initially been useless. "But you can prove my theory incorrect easily, and I shall concede entirely if I am wrong..." It was a gamble, but the only one he could make. The only card in his hand. "In our possession is a metal detector. If you would kindly let me scan you to be sure, then it would clear all suspicion..."

"I... I refuse!" The calm facade shattered in an instant. Rhea narrowed her eyes in suspicion. 

"You do understand what refusing means, correct?" She asked, leaning forward slightly. "By declining, you are admitting that the bullet is still inside you."

"This is an invasion of privacy!" Thales rebutted, his left hand slinking up to his right shoulder. _There!_ Ferdinand grinned, slamming his hands on his desk. _You're cornered! This is it!_

"The case ends today, Thales. We cannot wait any further. A simple scan is all I ask." He still played it calmly. Ferdinand gestured for Dorothea to go fetch the metal detector out of the car he'd left it in, and she gave him a thumbs up before dashing out. How she did that in heels, he'd never know. But it'd only be minutes before they'd have their answer. "I will bet my entire case on this, Thales. If you do not have a bullet imbedded in you then I shall agree that Hubert was guilty of the murder of his father." 

"I won't–"

"Thales, you will allow yourself to be examined by the defense." Rhea cut in, her stern tone leaving no room for objection. "We do not have time to run in circles. This case is unorthodox as is, I ask that you cooperate." The prosecutor made no secret how much he despised this, but without any further words, he relented and held still. 

When Dorothea returned, she clearly enjoyed hefting up the detector towards Thales, sweeping it broadly in his direction. It beeped loudly when it reached his right shoulder. _Bingo._

"I loathe to admit it, but it has nothing to do with the DL-6 case." Thales changed his tune pretty quickly, hand clutching his shoulder protectively. "I was involved in an... accident. I would not risk the publicity in going to the doctor to have it removed, but I assure you..."

"That can also be solved easily." Dorothea skipped right back to the defense's side, pulling out the secret trump card. "This is the bullet extracted from Alton von Vestra's heart. So we can remove it as soon as possible now and check to see if the rifling marks match it." In her hand she held it high–an old plastic bag with a single bullet, the one enclosed in the single file she had pulled right from under Thales' nose. 

"You–!" He grew pale, more than he already was, hands clenching into fists. "You've been up to no good from the very beginning! I knew it!" Thales slammed his fist down, a tremble going up his arm. "First Vestra, now you!"

"I am afraid I do not understand." Ferdinand shrugged, understanding fully well. "Might you explain to me what you are talking about?" The prosecutor hesitated, making something of a growl that morphed into something of an anguished cry before it tore all the way from his throat in a foul scream. He was backed so far into a corner that there was no escape, and it was finally dawning on him. 

"That scream..." Hubert spoke up softly. "That's the same one from that day. It really was you." 

"It was always Vestra..." Thales muttered. "First one tarnished my perfect record... then one left me with a scar that will never heal... and now you and your bratty assistant, Aegir!" He snapped, eyes wild like an animal. "I could have been perfect if you didn't curse me with your presence! You all deserve death!"

In that moment, Rhea slammed the gavel down, stopping the chaos before it broke out. 

–––

Thales was found guilty of the murder of Alton von Vestra on the last day the case was available, finally closing the 15 year old mystery. The moment they left the courtroom and reached the lobby, Dorothea threw her arms around both Hubert and Ferdinand, letting out a joyous laugh. 

"My heart stopped a few times there!" She sighed, smiling brighter than ever. "I'm glad that he's finally going behind bars. People like him... They're despicable." 

"I am aware." Hubert wasn't the most keen on Dorothea's arm around his shoulder, but made no attempt to push her away. "The lengths he went for revenge... Well, let's say that he was very well put together. Revenge is a dish best served cold." 

"And we stopped him," Ferdinand stated bluntly. "Thales will no longer have the luxury of imposing his will upon others. I find it truly chilling that a man like him would take a job such as this. It is his duty as a lawyer to seek the truth, not to obscure it for his selfish needs."

"Ferdinand..." Hubert's expression softened somewhat. "You really are a fool."

"What? I told you that I had an oath to the people." The attorney was confused, furrowing his brow. "It pains me to know that there are so many that would not honor it." Surely that's why people became lawyers–to protect the innocent. To rightfully punish criminals. To find the truth. That's what Manuela had always stressed, back in the days when she sang between work, other times drunk on the floor as she told Ferdinand to _never_ date men between some slurring about prying the truth out the clenched hands of the selfish. 

"Oh, Ferdie," Dorothea cooed playfully, condescending yet affectionate, patting his arm. "I'm surprised you're so... _innocent._ You really didn't know, did you?" He glanced to her, then eyes darted to Hubert, who stared back with that steely look that he normally wore. 

"I knew," Ferdinand said softly. "I know. Hubert, you... Thales taught you." 

"He did." Hubert nodded. "At first, I didn't suspect why. But now I do. He wanted nothing more than revenge on the man who dared raise a finger against him."

"He _murdered_ your father, Hubie." Dorothea's cheer fell, settling into a solemn frown. "And that wasn't even enough for him... how disgusting."

"I cannot say my father was a great man." Hubert's eyes drifted away, staring at something far off. "In some ways, he was quite loathable. But it is because of him that I had initially chosen to become a defense attorney." 

"I was going to ask about that," Ferdinand awkwardly interjected. "I remember that you had told me you wanted to become one all that time ago." Dorothea raised an eyebrow, the gears swiftly turning in her head. 

"You two knew each other?" She asked, voice high in suspicion.

"Naturally so! We went to the same elementary school as children." There was no point in obscuring this, so Ferdinand outright said it. "In fact, it is because we knew each other that I had decided to become a defense attorney as an adult."

"I had feared as much," Hubert grumbled. 

"You wound me, Vestra!" Ferdinand laughed. "Do you even remember? I decided because you helped me." When both Hubert and Dorothea looked upon him with curiosity, he took it that the prosecutor didn't remember in the slightest. "It is simple. A long time ago, Hubert's lunch money for the month went missing, you see. I had been sick that day, so I was excused from gym class. Because I was the only one not present, everyone believed I did it."

"But you didn't." Dorothea smirked. "You're too... well, you to steal lunch money. And your parents are too rich." 

"Yes, to that effect, I did not steal the money." Ferdinand decided to ignore the comment about his rich parents, even if that was correct. "They did not think so. They set up a trial for me, but all they did was shout that I did it and that I needed to pay and confess my crimes... even the teacher thought the same, demanding that I apologize and return the money I did not have. It was so very terrifying and lonely to have the entire class against me." His heart twinged in pain upon the memory–No matter how many years passed, the fear never faded, the image of his classmate's angered faces as they refused to believe him, calling for his punishment, and even the teacher looking down at him with disdain. "I was merely a child, so I had begun to cry. I had no idea what to do, since I had nothing to return. There was only one person who spoke out on my behalf." He smiled at Hubert, who quickly averted his eyes. "You were the only one. You called out, saying that no one had any evidence that I did it, and that I needed a fair trial and defense. In hindsight, it was rather silly, and at a young age you were merely emulating what your father did. But it was so very important to me, Hubert. I could never forget what you did for me." 

"So you followed in my footsteps to repay me, is that it?" Hubert crossed his arms, his old smirk present, but he couldn't hide the faint touch of red rising to his face. "How naive of you. You so skirted close to destruction on my behalf."

"Gladly so!" Ferdinand declared proudly. "When you mysteriously transferred out in the middle of the year, I had always wondered why, and hoped that we would meet again so I could return the favor. I believed if I became a defense lawyer then I would find you through the business. It was quite the shock to see that you had become a prosecutor!"

"You're an idiot, Aegir."

"Oh... That's so cute..." Dorothea sighed, completely taken by the story. "Two childhood friends, separated for so long, finally meeting again as enemies... They write operas about this kind of thing." 

"I doubt our story is opera worthy–" Hubert started, glad to change subject, but he didn't get far, a shout interrupting him. 

"YOU DID IT!" Caspar came careening into the lobby, almost crashing into them. "I knew you could do it! I believed in you from the very beginning, Ferdinand!" He took the attorney's hand in a crushing grip, shaking it vigorously. 

"Caspar, could you keep your voice down?" Strangely enough, it was a familiar lilting voice–Linhardt. He appeared much more slowly. Hubert raised an eyebrow. 

"Caspar, are you fraternizing with the witnesses?" Hubert asked, skeptical, and Caspar looked offended. 

"What does that mean? I've known this nerd since we were kids!" Caspar explained, hands on his hips.

"But he testified against us," Dorothea pointed out. 

"I didn't want to." Linhardt offered with a shrug. "I had asked to be left out of the proceedings, but I was determined as a key witness. Besides, that Thales guy wouldn't stop talking about what I was allowed to mention and not. It was tiring." 

"That is rather common for his ilk." Ferdinand nodded, a bit of a wry smile on his face. 

"Still, I wanted to apologize for making things so difficult." To his credit, Linhardt appeared sincere, even bowing with a hand over his chest. "Had I known that my friend was on the case, I would have tried harder."

"Motivated by friendship, I see," Hubert mused. "You are a very poor witness." 

"Hey, he's apologizing!" Caspar jabbed Hubert with his elbow. The prosecutor staggered from the blow, not prepared for the force of it, and Ferdinand cast his arm out to stabilize the man. "Besides, we need to celebrate! Let's get dinner, my treat!" 

"No, it should be my treat," Ferdinand disagreed. "Well, Hubert? Shall we get dinner?" He still had an arm around Hubert from his stumble, and the man didn't answer right away. 

"Yes," He said quietly. "We should." With that answer, Caspar cheered, and Dorothea perked up. Ferdinand smiled, letting his arm slide away.

"Let us go, then. I am quite tired of being in the court building."

–––

Ferdinand had his apprehensions about going to a nice place with the likes of Caspar and Dorothea, neither of whom were the best with higher class atmospheres (It would be easier on his wallet, too). So he found them a somewhat nice restaurant, the kind that Manuela liked where it was just fancy enough to dress better but not so much that you needed a reservation. That was fine. Caspar could be a little loud and get away with it, Dorothea wouldn't scoff too much at the atmosphere, and Ferdinand would enjoy it. It was perfect. Except for the part where Dorothea nudged him with her elbow, winking and saying "go get 'em, Ferdie!" and he didn't know what that meant.

Not until he was sitting alone with Hubert later in the evening, on his second glass of wine. Dorothea had mysteriously disappeared with Caspar and Linhardt, and now Ferdinand was staring across the table at his greatest adversary. Hubert wasn't looking at him, his wine glass in hand, sighing softly. 

"Hubert." Ferdinand leaned his elbow on the table, running a finger around the rim of his glass. "What is on your mind?"

"Nothing of importance." Hubert dismissed it quickly. "I was merely... reflecting."

"Do you mind explaining to me about what?" 

"That you remembered something as inconsequential as a class trial." Hubert shifted slightly in his seat, drawing in a slow breath. "I had almost entirely forgotten such an incident. Yet you told me today it is your entire reason for standing here." Ferdinand felt a heat rising to his face. 

"It was important to me," He replied gingerly. "I know it might not have been for you, but even as an adult, the feeling that no one believes you is... overwhelming, to say the least. It was not only you that caused me to take this path, I will admit, but you were a big part of it."

"The other was your oath, then?" Hubert guessed, his sardonic grin returning. "Your promise to the people?"

"Yes!" Ferdinand said, somewhat defensive. "There are plenty of innocent people out there who are feeling lonely like I did. It is even worse that they are being accused of murder rather than stolen lunch money. I cannot stand by and let them suffer when the true criminals are afoot."

"Have you considered that many people on the defendant's stand truly are criminals?" Hubert countered, his expression quickly going sour. "Not all of them are innocent, Aegir. Some of them get corrupt attorneys to win their innocence. It really is loathsome to see how the justice system is hardly justice at all."

"So you wished to catch them." Ferdinand sat up straighter to look Hubert in the eye. "Is that why you changed careers?" The prosecutor didn't answer right away, and Ferdinand waited, taking another sip of his wine. It wasn't the best, but he could stomach this kind of drink. 

"Yes," Hubert admitted after a moment. "After my father's trial... they couldn't find the killer. The most suitable suspect at the time was Solon, and because he was able to plead insanity, he was able to escape. And... there was myself." He paused, reaching for his own wine and knocking back a large gulp. "There are criminals out there, murderers who get away with their crimes because they have the money to burn and attorneys who would stoop to any low to let them walk free. It was disgusting." 

"I understand." Ferdinand pressed his lips together in a grim line. "I find it appalling as well. But that is why I shall always seek the truth–" He reached out, over the empty plates on the table, catching Hubert's hand with the tip of his fingers. "–and hopefully, with you at my side."

"What?"

"Hubert, do you not recall? During the case with the studio and the steel samurai..." Ferdinand managed a smile. "You helped me out greatly. You had known it was that woman Cornelia, and you asked her a question to assist me in pressing her for details and eventually the confession." Hubert blinked slowly, blushing a brilliant red against his pale skin. 

"It wasn't for your own good."

"Of course." The attorney nodded solemnly. "You were doing it in the pursuit of truth, and I am more than grateful to help! We should work together. I care not for a win rate, and you care to find the truth! It is a perfect partnership."

"Ferdinand." Hubert ducked his head down, threading his other hand into his bangs to hide his face. "Do you realize the absurdity of what you are proposing?"

"Not at all! I think this is a wonderful idea."

"You are as idiotic as they get." Hubert leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, but his hand didn't pull away from Ferdinand's. "I've never heard of such a naive idea before. Do you truly intend to tackle this corruption one case at a time?"

"If that's what it takes," Ferdinand answered confidently. 

"You might not have an innocent client."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." 

"I might not have been innocent." Hubert's voice was weaker. Ferdinand's heart twinged in sympathy. 

"Hubert." He reached out once more, taking Hubert's other hand and pulling it from his face, gingerly holding both with his thumbs stroking gently over the other's knuckles. "I could not leave you to accept your fate alone. I know how it feels... You saved me from that once. In turn, I had to save you." When he didn't answer, keeping his eyes glued on the table, Ferdinand continued. "You may not have thought the most fondly of your father, but if you had really done it... you wouldn't have acted the way you did."

"I was a criminal," Hubert said. "One that was allowed to walk free. It was only natural that I would see my comeuppance one day."

"And we have proved that you were not. You need not be so harsh on yourself anymore," Ferdinand insisted, giving Hubert's hands a soft squeeze. "I will always help you seek justice. That is what you wish for, correct? Justice for the innocent?" He was met with more silence but no resistance. He had somehow expected that Hubert would pry his hands away, to rebuke what he said, but he didn't. He held still. 

"I suppose that doesn't sound... horrible." Hubert let out a dry laugh. "Very well. Should you take up another one of your impossible cases, I shall make sure that you don't run too rampant with your theories."

"I would like that very much!" Ferdinand beamed in return. "... Ah, the bill." 

"You said it was your treat." Hubert stood swiftly, his hands sliding out of Ferdinand's and he pulled his black jacket off the back of his chair.

"That I did." There was no point in arguing with a fellow lawyer outside of court. There were no rules here. There was no judge. He could easily face Hubert's wrath in the safety of the courtroom, but here? Hubert would end him even if he joked about going back on his word. Ferdinand rose from his seat, fishing for his wallet in his pockets. It wasn't like this would take long, but for some reason Ferdinand was surprised when Hubert lingered with him while the others had left. Ferdinand winced a little at the hefty total, but it was a special occasion. Hopefully some more cases would fall into his lap to cover for it anyway. When it was all said and done, Ferdinand glanced up, seeing that Hubert was still waiting for him. "Shall we?" Ferdinand gestured for the door with a smile, and the prosecutor went along without a word. 

They stepped outside, greeted by a cold wind from the winter air, and Dorothea was standing pressed against the building, just to the left of the doorway, her phone in hand. 

"Dorothea? You were waiting?" Ferdinand exclaimed, perplexed. She looked up right away, face rosey from the cold, but the woman still smiled.

"I wanted to make sure everything was okay," Dorothea said in a hushed voice. He blinked slowly.

"I am afraid I do not understand."

"Did it go well?" Dorothea nudged her head in Hubert's direction. Ferdinand followed her gaze for a moment, staring at the other man, who was pointedly pretending he didn't see or hear them right now. 

"Yes? We had a lovely dinner even after you all left," Ferdinand answered at a regular volume, unsure of what she was talking about. "It is very cold out, so shall we escort you home, Dorothea?" She nodded, but skipped past Ferdinand, going right to Hubert's side.

"Of course! Ferdie, do you mind letting me borrow him for a bit, though?" She asked so sweetly. She was up to something. 

"I do not mind at all." Ferdinand nodded. Hubert looked like he would rather be somewhere else when Dorothea hooked her arm through his, pulling him ahead on the sidewalk so they had a noticeable lead on Ferdinand. The brunette made sure to keep her voice down, speaking low enough that Ferdinand couldn't hear the words, and Hubert answered just as quietly the few times he did. He didn't even know where they were going or for how long–Ferdinand was too busy straining to try and make out parts of their conversation without approaching too closely. Why was he worried? What was there to be worried about? Why was Dorothea acting so strangely? He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice when they stopped at an intersection. 

"You don't need to walk me further, my building is only a block down." Dorothea slipped her arm out of Hubert's, grinning wider than ever. "Thank you so much, Hubie!" She peeled away, stopping for a moment to give Ferdinand a thumbs up. With that, she ran off down the road, still oddly graceful in her high heeled shoes.

"Is she... acting strangely?" Ferdinand asked, frowning. 

"She doesn't live here, does she?" Hubert countered with a question of his own. Ferdinand nodded. "I see... I believe that Dorothea thinks that she's helping us out."

"With what?" Ferdinand knew. He knew what she was doing. The question still slipped out anyway. 

"Never mind." Hubert looked away, down the street. "Shall we continue? I still have a ways to go before I am anywhere near my home." 

"Yes, of course..." The redhead fell in pace with Hubert, now extremely aware of the space between them. They weren't walking particularly close, but the space between them could be bridged simply by reaching an arm out to touch. It was... distraction. They were settling into an uncomfortable silence. Ferdinand had to act, and fast. "Would you mind me asking what you two were talking about so secretively?"

"It wouldn't be much of a secret then, would it?" Hubert made a sarcastic grin. "It was nothing important. She was thanking me for paying her bail." 

"That was very kind of you." That did make sense, but why be so distant from Ferdinand over just that? "But is that all?"

"Is that all?"

"Yes, that is what I asked you."

"As I said, nothing of importance." That overconfident smirk of Hubert's vanished quickly. "She merely wished to discuss the events of the past few days with me." He wasn't looking at Ferdinand, he couldn't even smile, and his hands were folded behind his back.

"I do not think so, Hubert." Ferdinand shook his head. "She has been acting odd towards the both of us, and if there was nothing for you to hide, you would not be acting like this, either." Hubert tensed up, beginning to walk faster. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Aegir." He spoke stiffly. 

"When you do not want to speak to me about something, you avoid eye contact," Ferdinand offered helpfully. "I know that we have only recently reconnected and that I cannot expect you to be open about everything, but... Hubert, is there something you are hiding?" Hubert stopped walking, taking a heavy breath in that caused his whole body to rise and then fall with the force of letting it go in a sigh. 

"You were always quite daft," Hubert grumbled. "But you've always been one to only put your highest efforts into everything you do."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ferdinand couldn't avoid the corner of his lips curving up despite his attempts to stay serious. "If I am to do what I need, then I must give it my all." 

"Yes... I suppose so." Hubert agreed plainly. "That's always been one of the better things about you." 

"One of them?" Ferdinand laughed. "Then that means you admit that there is more!" 

"Don't make me regret this, Aegir."

"You will not! It is–Well, Hubert." Ferdinand felt a little at a loss for words. He knew what was going on. He knew why Dorothea had been acting the way she did, and why Hubert felt there was something he couldn't say. He didn't need evidence nor the court to help him figure this one out. "I truly am grateful that we got to meet again, and finally... as friends." 

"... Yes, I agree." Hubert still would not meet his eyes. The chill was getting to him, and his face had a dusting of red. Ferdinand blinked, watching his face closely. 

"So now that we have the proper time, I would enjoy catching up with you." Ferdinand stood square in front of Hubert. "I truly hope that we can continue working together in the future, and..." Was now a good time? Would he ever have a chance again? Ferdinand's heart rate spiked, pulsing louder than thunder as he drew close. Hubert jolted in surprise, starting to splutter something out, but he couldn't finish. Before he could have regrets Ferdinand caught Hubert for a kiss. His lips were cold and the prosecutor was still rigid, his hand grasping Ferdinand's arm desperately, but instead of pushing away he held him there. The kiss didn't last long, and Ferdinand stepped back, his lips feeling warm despite the chill of the winter wind. "And I hope that we could be more than simply friends and rivals."

"That's all you have to say?" Hubert muttered, the blush pronounced against his pale skin. "You kiss me out of the blue, and that's what you have to say for yourself?"

"Well, I thought that–"

"Ferdinand." Hubert cut him off before he could answer. "I... I wouldn't mind exploring this more... later. Somewhere else." Ferdinand hesitated, nodding slowly.

"Very well. Then..." Ferdinand took a careful step forward. "Do you... wish to speak about it? At my home?"

"I suppose that will work." Hubert moved as well. "Lead the way, then." The attorney made another step, but paused, reaching back. He found Hubert's hand with his own, slipping their fingers together and glancing up to him to gauge a reaction. The prosecutor was still flushed, this time not from the biting cold, but as before he didn't push away. Smiling gently, Ferdinand started off at a brisk pace, happily leading Hubert by the hand. 

–––

"Hubie, no one told me you were on this case with us!" They had barely broken out for a 15 minute recess and Dorothea wasted no time in finding the prosecutor. Hubert had gotten to a point where he was no longer startled when she addressed him, and never once did he react to the nickname he'd been so graciously granted. 

"It was very last minute," Hubert admitted. "With the likes of the Chief Prosecutor being the defendant, it was difficult to choose which of us was to handle it without bias." 

"That poor girl Flayn," Dorothea sighed. "Her father is accused of murder and is even confessing to it!"

"I must admit, this is not the first time I have dealt with such an uncooperative client." Ferdinand made a bit of a shrug. "But I do not think Seteth is guilty. As ill tempered and stern he is, he does not appear to be much of the malicious type." There was also the way he had claimed his injured hand was because of the attack–A very unconvincing _"Oh, this? I got it during the murder. You know, it was very dangerous. The murder, that is."_ It was clear Seteth, while capable of violence, had not actually been the culprit on this one. Yet something was forcing him to take the fall.

"Be careful, Aegir." Hubert smirked. "That kind of confidence can easily lead to your first failure." 

"I am being careful!" The attorney rebutted. "And if I do make mistakes, I am in the very capable hands of you and Dorothea." 

"Still, we should go over what we know." Dorothea raised a finger to her chin. "Hubie, this is all very odd to you, isn't it?"

"Extremely. Especially the part where there was a dead body in my car," Hubert replied dryly.

"At least you are not on trial for it!" Ferdinand laughed. "But you are correct. The circumstances are too... well, perfect, aren't they?"

"Yes. Seteth was seen with the victim shortly after I had obtained physical evidence of my alibi, and then Shamir is there at the perfect time to obtain an incriminating photograph..." Hubert mused. "And then the first thing Seteth does before being apprehended is attempt to call his daughter, then hang up after saying one word."

"Muffler..." Ferdinand filled in, frowning. "What does it mean?"

"Shamir testified that Seteth was wearing a muffler at the time, but the photo doesn't have one." Dorothea tapped her finger in thought. "The more we find out, the less we know." 

"I have Bergliez on the scene as we speak to find more information. But the rest is up to you," Hubert said. "You've been doing admirably on keeping the flights of fantasy to a minimum, but this is a case involving the Chief Prosecutor. It won't be easy to find the truth." 

"That will not stop me." Ferdinand was as proud as ever. "I am Ferdinand von Aegir! Justice will be served!"

"Recess is almost up. I'm going to review everything again." Dorothea wasn't reacting to Ferdinand's theatrics. "Thank you for the help, Hubie. We'll let you know anything we find." 

"Noted. Thank you as well." Hubert nodded, and Dorothea scurried off towards the courtroom again. 

"Hubert." Ferdinand faced him, his chest feeling warm. "I cannot thank you enough for working with me on this case."

"You have a habit of choosing seemingly impossible cases and then turning them on their heads." Hubert let out a soft laugh. "I find myself anticipating what on earth you possibly think happened in that parking lot."

"You know very well that we do not have all the pieces." The attorney shook his head. "I am relying on you to help me draw them out."

"Very risky, Aegir." Hubert rolled his eyes, but his smile was still there. "Recess is almost over. We ought to return soon."

"You are right. I shall catch up with Dorothea." Ferdinand turned to leave, but Hubert's hand wrapped around his upper arm and tugged him back, leaving the attorney confused. "Hubert?"

"Speaking of her, you were curious about what she and I had discussed a while ago, correct?" Hubert asked, and Ferdinand stared blankly. 

"You said it was not important." Ferdinand was very lost about where this was going. "I had honestly forgotten about it." 

"To be expected." Hubert didn't appear to mind, lifting his hand to Ferdinand's face and coaxing him closer. Ferdinand moved along without thinking, his breath stopping and his eyes wide. It happened quickly as it had before in the quiet winter night. Hubert met him for a kiss, his hand guiding Ferdinand closer while the attorney tightly wrapped his arms around the taller man, almost forgetting they were in the court lobby and they might be seen. It was still too quick for Ferdinand's liking–even if he could taste the horribly bitter coffee that Hubert had an unfortunate attraction to. But they had work to do, and a reputation to upkeep. 

"Hubert..." Ferdinand sighed, letting his arms fall away from the prosecutor. Hubert looked as cool and calm as ever, save for the faintest pink at his cheeks. 

"She told me you would have been too dense to make the first move," Hubert said, glancing away with a wry smile. "I suppose she was wrong." 

"She _knew?"_ Ferdinand spluttered, feeling the heat swiftly rising to his face. 

"Recess is over, Ferdinand. We can discuss this more this evening." Hubert stepped back to a professional distance between them. "Don't disappoint." The attorney was blank, struggling to speak. 

"I will not!" He shouted too loudly for the small room. "I... I shall see you after court, Hubert!" Ferdinand hurried off, back into the court room, willing his heart to be still. When he reached the defense's side, Dorothea was there already, a smug look on her face.

"Did it go well?" She asked innocently. 

"Very well," Ferdinand muttered in reply, nervously straightening out his attorney's badge. "But that is not important. We have a case to solve."

"Mm-hm!" Dorothea flexed her fingers in anticipation. On the other side, Hubert stepped up, looking no different than he had before. 

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Hubert announced calmly. 

"The defense is ready!" Ferdinand added right after. They still only had the one witness in Shamir, who despite her attempts, was proving less than reliable. He'd dealt with worse, he supposed. As he pressed her testimony for the small details, falling back on Dorothea's observations and Hubert's sharp rebuttals to his points, Ferdinand felt somewhat distant. _Dorothea knew. When did she know about how we felt? What tipped her off?_

Yet looking over the room, seeing Hubert there with an unclouded mind, almost smiling as he argued against Ferdinand's logic, Ferdinand wasn't sure it was all that distressing. Dorothea was sharp. She'd only observed what was already there. Yes, Ferdinand was lucky–He had someone like Hubert, so dear and close, and together they could push forward to the truth. 

"Ferdie," Dorothea whispered, holding up a scrap of paper for him to see. "I think this is upside down." The note said 6-75, but Ferdinand frowned.

"I think you are right," He said, turning it over. Like this, it said SL-9. A case number. Perfect. 

"Aegir, you're smiling like you have another hair brained idea you're about to bluff over." Hubert called, not even waiting for him to bring it up first. "Out with it, then." 

"Very well." Ferdinand took the note from Dorothea, standing proud. "The defense would like to propose a new idea!"

When he first set foot in court with the Demon Prosecutor, Hubert von Vestra, Ferdinand hadn't imagined the day that they would stand across from each other as partners, but he knew easily that this was the way it was supposed to be. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! i hope you enjoyed your time with it <3
> 
> other notes before i go:  
> -ferdie doesn't use contractions normally in his speech and that was super hard to write sometimes so if i missed one that's my bad  
> -i promise i like manuela, but i needed a mia stand in, and she was perfect as someone with a close relationship with dorothea, a mentor role, and massive boobs  
> -to those familiar with AA, some characters have been removed or merged, this is because i honestly did not feel like setting up and explaining every single one when i already have too much to write about  
> -i decided not to worry about spirit channeling rip that's gonna end me if i ever do a sequel  
> -the stuff about dimitri and the dogs was a headcanon from a friend that she let me borrow for this. i basically consulted her every time i had to write a line of dialogue for dimitri so shout out to my pal ice ur the best  
> -i made up some names bc feth is wonderful and doesn't name half of its characters properly but i'm not committed to them  
> -idk if ill make a follow up at all but edelgard is franziska okay thanks. one day i might include all the eagles but it's not today
> 
> and that's all for now! if you made it here i'm incredibly impressed! thanks again!


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